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    Home » Recipes

    Passata Pasta Sauce with Mediterranean Veg

    Published: May 21, 2020 · Modified: Jun 28, 2022 by REALMEALDEAL ·

    pinterest image close up of bowl of tomata passata pasta sauce.

    This Passata Pasta Sauce with Mediterranean Vegetables is easy, versatile, and packed full of veg, perfect for stirring through pasta or adding to other recipes.

    close up of bowl of pasta with passata and vegetable sauce topped with grated parmesan cheese and cherry tomatoes
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    A tomato pasta sauce is handy to always keep in the freezer. It's delicious on its own or can be used in many other recipes such as Vegetarian Lasagne or Easy Vegetable Pasta Bake. You can also serve it with meatballs or how about in a Creamy Sausage Pasta Bake?

    Packed with 5 different Mediterranean vegetables, you can keep the sauce chunky or put it through the blender to create a lovely smooth sauce. This can really enhance the Italian flavour and you'll never want to go back to a store-bought jar again. When blended, you can even use it like a marinara sauce on pizza.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Sustainability
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Storage
    • How to freeze leftover cooked pasta
    • Top tip
    • 📖 Recipe
    • More popular pasta recipes

    Ingredients

    Fresh Italian ingredients give this simple pasta sauce its amazing flavour.

    image of labelled ingredients aubergine, fresh basil, red pepper, courgette, red onion, passata and olive oil.
    • Passata - (tomato puree in the US) is just strained tomatoes with no seeds or skins. Buy the best quality you can afford. Cheaper versions have a higher water content that will make the sauce thinner.
    • Aubergines - (eggplant US) look for ones with shiny firm skin
    • Courgettes - (zucchini US) these should be firm and not too large, around 20cm in length is a good size.
    • Red Bell Pepper - these add sweetness and also a nice crunchy texture.
    • Red onion - also known as purple onions they are sweeter than brown onions and are native to Italy.
    • Olive oil - a good extra virgin olive oil is essential to Italian cooking.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    Chop all the vegetables into small pieces about 1cm cubed.

    diced red onion frying in large casserole dish.

    Add the olive oil to a large pan and gently fry the red onion until soft.

    diced aubergine, courgette, red pepper and red onion in large frying pan

    Add the peppers, courgette and aubergine and fry for 5 minutes.

    passata and fresh basil added to large pan with diced aubergine, courgette, red pepper and red onion.

    Stir the passata into the vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 10 minutes.

    bowl of passata pasta sauce half blended and half left with chunks of vegetables.

    Blitz some or all of the sauce together if required. This is a great way to 'hide' the vegetables if you need to, but also gives it a lovely flavour.

    Hint: If cooking a large batch of passata pasta sauce, you only need enough liquid to just cover the vegetables so may not need to double or treble the quantity of passata. When making larger quantities, I find it easier to cook in the oven for 30 minutes at 180°C / 360°F / gas mark 4. Place everything in an oven-proof dish, cover with a lid, and place in the oven.

    two bowls of passata pasta sauce with vegetables topped with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil wil grated parmesan to side.

    Substitutions

    This is such a versatile pasta sauce recipe and great for using up leftovers.

    • Vegetables - as well as the traditional Mediterranean vegetables, you could also add carrots, and mushrooms or stir through some fresh spinach.
    • Herbs - I like to use fresh basil leaves as the flavour reminds me of Italy, but you could also use parsley, oregano, or even fennel.
    • Balsamic Vinegar - a few drops of good quality balsamic vinegar will add a nice sweetness to the sauce.
    • Red Wine - a splash of red wine will add a deeper flavour.
    • Chickpeas, lentils, or beans - these can be added to the recipe to make it go further which can be a healthy and economical option. I recommend using tinned or canned versions of chickpeas and beans that have already been soaked and are ready to use. Red lentils cook quicker than brown or green lentils. Simmer the sauce until they are soft.

    Variations

    There are lots of ways you can easily adapt this recipe to suit your taste. These are just some ideas.

    • Spicy - add chilli pepper flakes for some extra heat.
    • Creamy - stir through some creme fraiche or cream for a lovely creamy pasta sauce.
    • Kid friendly - if you need to hide the vegetables, just put the sauce through a blender to get rid of those lumps that some kids struggle with.

    Sustainability

    A homemade pasta sauce using passata is not only cheaper than buying jars, but it also generates less waste as this is such as easy recipe to make in bulk. All of the vegetables can be bought organic. Although you can buy them all year round, they are in season in the summer and the flavour is so much better. Try to buy the vegetables lose to minimise single-use plastic. If you need to buy pre-packed, don't let any extra go to waste, just add them in. As it's a sauce, it may change the balance of flavours slightly, but will still taste good.

    Serving Suggestions

    Stir this healthy tomato sauce through your favourite pasta or add it to other recipes such as pasta bakes, lasagnas, or casseroles. A little black pepper, a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese, and a few fresh herbs over the top sets it off.

    bowl of passata pasta sauce with mediterranean vegetables topped with grated parmesan cheese

    Storage

    Passata pasta sauce will keep in the fridge for 3 - 4 days. It freezes well and will keep for 3 - 4 months. After that time it will still be safe to eat, but over time the quality and texture may change. I freeze this in individual portions in re-used glass jam jars. It can easily be defrosted in the microwave in the glass jar.

    How to freeze leftover cooked pasta

    Any leftover cooked pasta can also be frozen. Leave the pasta to cool then stir through a little olive oil so it doesn't all stick together. Place the pasta in an airtight container or freezer bag and store for up to 2 months. To reheat, just place in a pan of boiling water for 2 minutes.

    Top tip

    I always make a large batch of this sauce as it can be used in so many different recipes. Cooking a larger quantity will also help save on energy costs.

    📖 Recipe

    two bowls of passata pasta sauce with vegetables topped with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil wil grated parmesan to side.

    Passata Pasta Sauce with Mediterranean Vegetables

    REALMEALDEAL
    An easy and versatile homemade pasta sauce recipe packed with vegetables. Use it on its own or with pasta bakes, casseroles or lasagnes.
    5 from 8 votes
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    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings (Adjustable) 4
    Calories 165 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 tablespoon olive oil organic, fairtrade
    • 1 red onion organic, peeled and diced
    • 1 red pepper organic, de-seeded and diced
    • 1 courgette zucchini, organic, diced
    • 1 aubergines eggplant, organic, cubed
    • 500 g passata tomato puree (US) organic
    • 1 dash salt
    • 1 dash black pepper fairtrade

    Instructions
     

    • Add the olive oil to a large pan and gently fry the onion until soft.
      2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 red onion
    • Add the peppers, courgette and aubergine and fry for 5 minutes.
      1 red pepper, 1 courgette, 1 aubergines
    • Stir the passata in to the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.
      500 g passata, 1 dash salt, 1 dash black pepper
    • Blitz some or all of the sauce together if required. This is a great way to 'hide' the vegetables if you need to, but also gives it a lovely flavour.
    • Serve with pasta and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

    Notes

    The nutritional information for this recipe is just for the sauce and does not include pasta or any cheese topping.

    Ingredients

    • Passata - (tomato puree in the US) is just strained tomatoes with no seeds or skins. Buy the best quality you can afford. Cheaper versions have a higher water content that will make the sauce thinner.
    • Aubergines - (eggplant US) look for ones with shiny firm skin
    • Courgettes - (zucchini US) these should be firm and not too large, around 20cm in length is a good size.
    • Red Bell Pepper - these add sweetness and also a nice crunchy texture.
    • Red onion - also known as purple onions they are sweeter than brown onions and are native to Italy.
    • Olive oil - a good extra virgin olive oil is essential to Italian cooking.

    Making a Batch

    You only need enough liquid to just cover the vegetables so may not need to double or treble the quantity of passta. When making a batch, I find it easier to cook in the oven for 30 minutes at 180°C / 360°F / gas mark 4. Place everything in an oven proof dish, cover with a lid and place in the oven.

    Storage

    Passata pasta sauce will keep in the fridge for 3 - 4 days. It freezes well and will keep for 3 - 4 months. After that time it will still be safe to eat, but over time the quality and texture may change. I freeze this in individual portions in re-used glass jam jars. It can easily be defrosted in the microwave in the glass jar.
     

    Nutrition per serving

    Calories: 165kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 4gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 53mgPotassium: 1042mgFiber: 7gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 1694IUVitamin C: 65mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 3mg

    The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.

    Average Carbon Emissions

    Author REALMEALDEAL
    Tried this recipe?Mention @realmealdealuk or tag #realmealdeal!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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    1. Tayler Ross

      June 28, 2022 at 5:14 pm

      I made this pasta for dinner last night and my whole family enjoyed it immensely! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!

      Reply
    2. Beth

      June 28, 2022 at 3:27 pm

      I absolutely love this. There are so many sauce recipes out there that take forever to make, and I love that this one is so fast and full of flavor!

      Reply
    3. Amanda Wren-Grimwood

      June 28, 2022 at 3:02 pm

      This is a great way to use up home grown veggies in so many different ways. Such great flavour here.

      Reply
    4. Michelle

      June 28, 2022 at 2:54 pm

      What a great vegetable-ladened pasta, cannot wait to give it a try!

      Reply
    5. GUNJAN

      June 28, 2022 at 2:49 pm

      This is such a great recipe. I loved that you included so many vegetables in pasta. My kids loved it and asked me to make it again 🙂

      Reply
    6. Angela

      June 28, 2022 at 1:56 pm

      What an incredible sauce recipe! This is so perfect to put in all of the summer veggies I have on hand right now. Easy and delicious, thanks for the great recipe!

      Reply

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